Ford Testing a New 'Traffic Monitoring' Device 535
Poletown writes "The Detroit Free Press put out this article today about a new vehicle based 'traffic monitoring' system that Ford is testing. It will report your speed, the road temperature, whether or not your wipers/headlights are active, and even if you've used your anti-lock brakes. Initially, the system will be tested on Ford-owned and municipal vehicles."
tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
Re:tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
Re:tinfoil (Score:3, Funny)
Everyone knows you have to don a black suit with only eye holes and sneak into the city dump late at night to steal your tinfoil. Statistically speaking, there's so much there that it would be almost impossible for it to ALL be 'l
Re:tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
However... (Score:5, Insightful)
However, if they try to put this in my car...it will be disconnected quickly.
Re:However... (Score:4, Insightful)
And your anti-lock fails to work, your speedo is stuck on zero, your wipers lock in the upright position, your fancy nav system is stuck at due North...
Hard to remove only part of a chip and still leave the rest working.
Re:However... (Score:5, Informative)
If you drive a late model auto, chances your vehicle already includes some kind of rudimentary "black box." Already, these black boxes have been used in court in various car-accident related cases. Here's an article [expertlaw.com] that has a brief summary of what the current incarnations of these devices record. Here's another one [alllaw.com] that discusses why the current models aren't reliable enough to be the sole source of evidence in a case.
Hey, I like safety technology too... But there definitely has to be a privacy wall built-in, since marrying a GPS device to it (which is already coming... Googling for "automobile black box" brings up two or three companies whose business model is based on adding GPS functionality) would make the data extremely interesting to marketing people, police agencies, and other nefarious types.
Re:tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
I think we may need more than a tinfoil hat! How about some sort of armor... against the idiots who see only the "benefits" of such a system.
Just remember that you can make something "Fool Proof" but you can't make it "Damn Fool Proof," because fools are so ingenious...
Re:tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
Re:tinfoil (Score:5, Funny)
I, for one, WELCOME this new opportunity to sell kits for cars that bypass this sort of shit.
There are people who know electronics in the world, and aren't completely unfamiliar with automotive systems; Just rip the shit out, or better yet, have them think they are looking at you when in actuality they are tracking the driving habits of the Local Sheriff.
This is about as silly as worrying about RFID tags; don't look at this as a imposition, look at this as the chance to misdirect and confuse!
is that all?? (Score:5, Interesting)
but seriously, what use is a traffic monitoring system - if you live in an area REALLY hit by traffic (i live near Central London, UK), there is usually almost no way to avoid it! what's the use unless you're a long distance commuter, or want to decide whether to use subway/underground or car
Re:is that all?? (Score:5, Funny)
The result of these billboards...
I had something to read while parked on the freeway.
This sounds like history repeating.
Re:is that all?? (Score:5, Funny)
I had something to read while parked on the freeway.
My favorite was one time I was stranded right outside of Rochester - the billboard which was in front of us kindly informed me about an accident a few miles ahead and suggested that I use "alternative routes". It then proceeded to lecture me about using my cell phone while "driving" (if you could call sitting with the engine off and the vehicle in park driving) and advised that I would be subject to fines if seen doing this.
Of course I promptly whipped out the cell phone and called a few friends to point out how ironic this was ;) Got a dirty look from a State Trooper (who was on foot walking between cars) but no tickets or fines. Guess they had better things to do ;)
Re:is that all?? (Score:4, Insightful)
It's a case of good information gone stale... it's too late to save you at this point. Traffic infomation needs to be distributed well before people get to the scene of the problem, so that they have a chance to select that "alternate route" that sends them on a longer path with less congestion. Once they have passed that point, it's too late.
Therefore, traffic infomation needs to be distributed very rapidly and distantly from the scene of the problem in order to have any influence on the situation.
Rapid alternate route distribution mechanism (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:is that all?? (Score:4, Interesting)
A system that does this is already installed...it's called CB radio. OK, so it may not be that cool now, but it still has a use.
When I had a CB, I could drive east on the Indiana/Ohio tollways and get radar and road reports from the drivers headed west, and vice versa.
Re:is that all?? (Score:5, Informative)
Those billboard signs (Score:5, Funny)
Last year, someone headed back into the city during rush hour crashed into one of those billboards on GA 400 southbound, bringing it down and blocking the entire road well into the evening.
I wasn't there, but I hear people who saw it happen could see the display blinking:
Traffic sign down on GA 400 S & Windward. Use alternate route.
no more... (Score:5, Funny)
*shrug*
e.
Re:no more... (Score:5, Funny)
>
> *shrug*
"Shrug"?!?!!
I fill potholes for two hours a day, and for the remaining six, I'm a barkeep at a tittie bar, you insensitive clod!
Obviously... (Score:3, Interesting)
"The computer says what? Why, that must be wrong. We were just eating at that Denny's next door. I don't know, sir. If you can't prove it either way, I guess you'll just have to trust us."
Re:no more... (Score:4, Informative)
The plow operators countered that it's not uncommon for a plow to get held up for an hour or two because they are blocked by police, accidents, or other obstructions, and they should be paid for that time.
The state countered by saying it's trivial for them to tell the differnce. If your spend an hour at Dunkin' Donuts, you will not be paid. If you spend an hour trapped on a highway that you belong on, you will be paid.
Re:no more... (Score:5, Interesting)
Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Insightful)
But it wont work because if a device can tell if your antilock brakes are working it can just as easily tell if your speeding or any other number of big brother activities. This information could be relayed to your local municipality and insurance company. Imagine discovering that you've gotten a speeding ticket and your insurance rates went up before you even finished driving home.
This would be a very effective privacy erosion and people will rebel with the inevitable horror stories that would follow. Your boss could find out if you go drinking on the weekend, and so on. Imagine anyone being able to use this "public" information to stalk or harass someone. Since the information would reported to municipalities, it would by definition be public unless legislated otherwise.
Now, you could make it work, and it could produce very nice real time results. If several thousand cars all suddenly come to a crawl where traffic conditions wouldn't otherwise call for it an automated dispatch to 911 could be sent to find out why - there's probably a good reason for it. The problem is that you have to find a way of reporting the information in aggragate and without the ability to uniquely identify where it's coming from. If it can be uniquely identified it will be subponead by some lawyer and abused.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Insightful)
Ever heard of OnStar? It's got GPS, and can therefore report whether you're speeding, and yet it's not abused in the way you suggest it would be. People actually even pay extra to have it in their car.
I'm not saying that it isn't good to be cautious, but just because a technology can be used in a "Big Brother" way doesn't mean it will.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes it does, It's only a matter of time before the fed/state/local authorities start to supoena onstar. First it will be for a good reason (murder, kidnapping) but once it starts, we'll be sliding right on down that slope. How long until someone is arrested for terrorism because their SUV was parked at a fertilizer store, a diesel station, and an airport in the same day?
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Informative)
A Judge told the FEDS to stop listening in to OnStar [com.com]
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Informative)
Having said that, I don't see why they couldn't implement these systems in public and city-owned vehicles only, like buses and public works vehicles. There's no reason you need every car in the city to have one, just enough so that you can monitor traffic flow.
They already did. (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes it does, It's only a matter of time before the fed/state/local authorities start to supoena onstar.
As a matter of fact, they already DID subpoena OnStar or one of its clones. And not just to track the vehicle, but to use the phone function to BUG it. This came to light in the news media as a result of a suit by the service provider.
It seems the device is basically a cellphone (without a ringer and with a fixed number to call, and WITH a data connection to the car's computer). Inbound calls are silently accepted (the better to track stolen cars without alerting the thief and to unlock the door for customers who lock the keys in). Of course this makes bugging the occupants trivial.
The emergency signal is sent by transmitting a tone in the upbound voice channel. With a call permanently set up between the car and the FBI's tape recorder, the emergency service the company was being paid for couldn't be provided. (The tone would go to the tape recorder, rather than a call being made to the emergency service proder.)
When the FBI wanted to continue the tap after a month, the company sued to get them to release it.
(The news item carefully didn't mention which OnStar-or-clone company was involved.)
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Insightful)
Can they really write you a ticket if they know that your vehicle was speeding, but they don't know who was driving it? It seems they are using cameras to penalize red-light runners in some cities already, but how are they doing this? If the car isn't registered to me, then I don't get the ticket?
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Funny)
The trick is to send them a picture of you writing them a check
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Interesting)
In Texas, many cities are "home-rule" cities which means they can sometimes enact laws which are not specifically prescribed or proscribed by the state. In the town I live in, they issue civil citations to the owners of vehicles caught by the red light cameras. By issuing a civil citation, the city finds it easier to skirt around due process. If you refuse to pay, then you'll find yourself at the receiving end of a criminal charge for failure to pay a civil fine levied by the city, rather than being held responsible for the offense under criminal statutes.
Here's another example: We have several toll roads where I live. I sold my car a few years back; in Texas, the tags go with the car. So of course,the lowlife I sold my vehicle to decide to rack up several hundred dollars in fines for running the toll gates. The toll authority issued me a civil fine of several hundred dollars based on photographs of the rear license plate of the vehicle! Had I not been able to prove that the vehicle was in fact sold (I had a bill of sale), I would have been held liable for the fines.
So yes, in some parts of the country you can receive a citation by simply owning a vehicle caught speeding, running red lights, etc.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Interesting)
Apparently they can. Gene Weingarten wrote an amusing piece [washingtonpost.com] in the Washington Post last week that describes his failed attempt to get out of just such a predicament using the defense you have suggested. It didn't work.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Insightful)
GOOD!
We as a country do too much just because we think we'll get away with it--and we let slide our liberties because we aren't challenged when we exercise them, and so don't have the chance to defend them.
BOSS: "So, Planesdragon, I see that you bought twenty-four kegs of beer last weekend..."
PD: "Yep. I had a kegger at my house. It's my personal life, and, as you can see, I'm here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed monday morning. So what's it to you?"
BOSS: "Oh, ah... Ok."
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Insightful)
Point is; if the information is there, it'll be misused. Maybe your boss doesn't screen your blood, but maybe you suddenly start getting a lot of pamphlets for AA. Maybe missionaries come by, and try to save you from your sinful lifestyle. Maybe your insurance company jacks your rates (both your auto, and your homeowners), just because you exhibit the inclination to throw large, alcohol-consuming parties. Hell, maybe the police show up, and start hassling every guest that leaves.
Sound like fun to you? Somewhere, some time, it'd happen.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Funny)
BOSS: "So, Planesdragon, I see that you bought twenty-four kegs of beer last weekend... why the HELL wasn't I invited!?!!? Greedy bastard, no raise for you this year!"
You made an assumption -- personal vehicles (Score:5, Insightful)
In fact, I know a few people whose work vehicles will report to their employer when they showed up at the work site (construction related field). This is just an extension to that.
You're automatically assuming that 'consumer' means 'private citizen' which it may not be. I can see significant demand for this for fleet vehicles, especially if it can be correlated to GPS or some of the other monitor systems that already exist.
Public works vehicles would be a prime candidate for this, as it could give indicators where potholes are, or snow problems, or flooded roads. Radio and TV stations might put it in their vehicles, so they could improve their traffic reporting.
It might move to private vehicles, if there were incentives. Maybe discounts on your insurance, or taxes, or the like, but I don't see people just jumping out and wanting it on their own, for the very reasons you stated.
And it's entirely possible that they'll be put in without people knowing about it, such as the black boxes that record airbag data, or forced to be in there by law [all vehicles in the state of must have them], similar to emissions controls, which help the general population, but not the individual user.
rebellion? uhh.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Unfortunately, people won't rebel because they won't take it upon themselves to build cars without said devices, and that's even assuming that the Law allows cars to be manufactured without all that stuff anyway. What will happen is that people will just say, "That sucks! Oh, well, I want a car...."
Auto blackboxes already exist... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Insightful)
If a small incentive was given many individuals, or companies, would probably be willing to have their car tracked...
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Interesting)
It's the same reason police in my province don't take give your license demerits for photo-radar infractions; there's reasonable doubt that you were the driver.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Insightful)
Or have you never done your friends a favour like that?
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Insightful)
Please, please, tell me you're just going for flamebait points. You've got to be kidding, right?
The problem with this is just that: my CAR telling somebody about my habits? Isn't that what we have police officers for? If I let my buddy borrow my pickup to move a desk, and he speeds, I get the ticket & the insurance ding? Oh wait. Why not use the RFID tags in my clothing to make sure that I get the ticket?
Wrong. Automated data collection will just keep forcing us into a submissive role. And you're FOR this?
I assume, then, the first time you drive like an idiot, or forget to signal, you'll be prepared for the officers when you pull in your driveway.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Interesting)
But if he uses it NOW and kills someone in an accident, you are liable to be sued and your rates go up. All this without any nifty traffic monitoring device. Ain't life grand?
I assume, then, the first time you drive like an idiot, or forget to signal, you'll be prepared for the officers when you pull in your driveway.
Like they already do in New York state, where thanks to road rage laws, a simple call, "such and such a car with plates XYZ-123 was behaving erratically on this road and this time", gets you a knock at the door by a uniformed officer who reads you the riot act.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:5, Insightful)
[Devil's advocate]We have collectively (note that I didn't say individually) agreed that going too fast on certain roads is bad and, for the sake of public safety, people who exceed certain speeds should be punished. Since this is what the people have decided is best why would anyone object to better enabling the police to enforce the people's will?[/Devil's advocate]
Personally I think victimless crimes such as speeding are the heart of the problem. If it were up to me there would be no speed limits anywhere but the penalties for crimes such as vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence would be much for draconian.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem comes in when you decide what a victimless crime means. Speeding is one of those nice grey-area examples of victimless crimes.
As a general rule, an accident involving vehicles at speed 2*X will be worse than an accident involving vehicles at speed X. This may be worse as property damage, it may be injury level, it may be injury vs death.
"Society" has determined that there is a correlation between high speeds and injury/death rates from accidents. (Don't know about correlating speed vs accident rate itself... decreased reaction times from higher speed probably do correlate to higher accident rates too.) A certain percentage of the cost of that injury/death is paid by society, in the form of uninsured motorists and public health care.
Therefore, the "victim" of speeding is your government's budget. That's an indirect way of saying speeding costs the taxpayer money, and someone decided that the speeder herself should pay part of that cost burden, therefore... speeding tickets.
I don't have to like it, to understand the original reasoning. Of course, this also has nothing to do with "speeding tickets as a primary form of county revenue" that seems very common today.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Interesting)
A federal agency (CIA if I remember correctly) was recently ordered by a court of law to cease 'wire tapping' the GPS and other sattelite signals from OnStar due to the fact that the surveilance interfered with the ability of OnStar users to summon emergency services.
That is a serious problem in at least 2 ways
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:3, Insightful)
So you're saying that your insurence company has no right to know that you habitually break safe traffic laws, thus putting yourself and others at risk? OK! Maybe you should join one of those groups that refuses to get drivers licenses and insurence at all...
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Interesting)
Bingo....so why collect specific data to base the rates on? Why not just use the average, where all drivers pay for the bad?
Insurance is a racket...a gamble by the companies. If it's going to be based on data mined by the microsecond, then there is no gamble. And no need to bill me if I don't have a need to collect.
Re:Good idea that will never work (Score:4, Insightful)
Traffodata XP (Score:4, Interesting)
Nerd history of the Traffodata is located in Fire in the Valley, a great computer history book.
Can you access it? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Can you access it? (Score:5, Insightful)
Or someone else's.
Divorce lawyers/investigators would love this shit. No thank you.
KFG
Ah, crap. (Score:5, Interesting)
I can't decide whether to praise this kind of "innovation" for the convenience, or to complain about the possibilities for abuse. I know we'll hear plenty of both - but I'll lean toward praising this for now. Technology will always be abused, and complaining about basically harmless things and their potential for evil is not generally productive.
Re:Ah, crap. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ah, crap. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Ah, crap. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ah, crap. (Score:5, Funny)
And the one metric I would be looking for would be the "engine off, shock adsorbers experencing extreme stress" indicator.
Re:Ah, crap. (Score:3, Funny)
-Its been parked by the river for an hour
-The radio is playing
-Strangely, its reporting rough, unpaved roads
So will the sexual predators. (Score:4, Insightful)
So will the stalkers, rapists, sexual predators, and serial killers.
Is this what you REALLY want for, say, your teenage girl?
How about for your teenage boy - the one with the really cute butt?
How about for your cousin, who just bailed out of the abusive marriage and is trying to duck the ex-husband? You know - the one who broke her nose, blackened her eyes about once a week, and wants to continue the practice?
How about the crook who knows your car is worth fifty grand and you just spent ten minutes in a bank parking lot?
Spin (Score:5, Informative)
If every single car being made had something like this, then there would be cause for concern. Otherwise, just don't buy the cars that have this if you don't want it. Simple.
Mercedes, not GM (Score:3, Informative)
Standards & Protocols (Score:5, Interesting)
This can potentially further clog the microwave/radio spectrum, depending on the range of these sensors. Also, unless some standard exists/is applied, competing manufacturers could select different protocols, leading to a babel of messages, and more traffic jams rather than less
It could have some good use as an anti-theft device.
No comments on the Orwellian overtones of the original post
Tickets? (Score:4, Interesting)
Bad Assumptions... (Score:5, Funny)
uh... it could also signal that my Mom is at the wheel...
ECU already do half that stuff (Score:3, Informative)
Driver monitoring (Score:5, Interesting)
Jerks on the road (Score:5, Interesting)
Hopefully this will help getting the speeding jerks off our roads. Quite frankly, I wouldn't mind having completely remote-computer controlled cars in our lifetime.
Re:Jerks on the road (Score:3, Interesting)
I drive on the right lane at the precise speed limit.
I just get pissed off every time a speeding jerk drives by me at 30 mphs over the limit, cuts me off and gives me the finger "for being too slow". This [bbc.co.uk] is what I wish on them.
Have you never read the Risks List?
I'd rather take my chances with computer controlled cars than the speeding, emotionally volatile alpha-male jerks.
Re:Jerks on the road (Score:5, Interesting)
Thankfully some state legislators have half a clue and don't agree with you:
"Illinois is one of 20 states that now have some sort of prohibition on driving in the left lane. Basically, the rule is this: You can drive in the left lane for as long as you want, unless you are holding up traffic. In that case, you must move to another lane within half a mile or be subject to a $75 ticket. In California, you can be cited for impeding traffic if you are not keeping up with the flow of cars. The recommendation of the California Highway Patrol: If faster-moving traffic is riding your rear, move over no matter if you are doing the speed limit."
Possibly off topic- (Score:5, Informative)
Once I was asked to do some inspection work on a DOT (department of transportation) site, and they had just finished installing (and monitoring) useage of their DOT vehicles.
I was there when the output was generated. The DOT devices monitored how long the vehicles were in motion, how far they traveled, how fast, how long they stopped and using a GPS, where exactly they were at any given time.
The workmen knew nothing of this installation until that point in time.
The moral? The crews weren't doing what they were supposed ot be doing (running about filling potholes) and instead (as found by the GPS) were down at a local bar and grill, drinking it up.
So they were fired.
Sure, they probably deserved it, but should they have been fired in this manner? This device *sounds* like it could be used for *exactly* that.
Something to think about.
Re:Possibly off topic- (Score:5, Insightful)
The work crews were expecting their actions to be untraceable and they were caught. As a taxpayer I hope all city vehicles are setup with this info. As long as their employment agreement states that the city/state has the right to monitor their vehicles then whats the issue...
Great... (Score:5, Funny)
Now I'm just going to be a user of the Ford Mobile Traffic Network.
But I bet I'll be allowed to opt-out... If I can fill out all the paperwork.
Traffic Waves (Score:5, Insightful)
Someone posted a link to this site about how one driver can singlehandedly eliminate traffic waves [amasci.com] simply by not driving like a nut. I've tried it, and it's not difficult, but I can't imagine convincing my wife to let a gap open up in front of her... there's something in human nature that rebels at the thought of someone else getting ahead of you in line.
My prediction: If these devices and systems lead to more efficient roads, then there will simply be more people on the roads. The end result will be *worse* congestion than before. That's why building new expressways [houstonfreeways.com] is so futile -- you just can't build your way out of gridlock. [Insert mass transit rant here]
Traffic monitoring in the ground (Score:5, Interesting)
Big Brother (Score:4, Interesting)
I realize, of course, that there are benefits of being able to track cars. Finding stolen cars, keeping unsafe drivers off the road, et cetera, but sometimes you have to sacrifice all these things for the rights of the individual. Our culture has a tendency to take ideas with good intentions and take them to dangerous extremes. Take bias censorship in schools, for example. There are extensive rules that publishing companies have in place so as not to offend children. It started in 1970 as a way to keep racism and homophobia out of schools, but is to the point where you can't mention, for example, a blind man overcoming his disability and climbing a mountain. According to these bias guidelines, that kind of statement could offend blind children.
What is the next step after this? Tracking devices implanted under the skin? Big Brother is watching you.
Not in your car. (Score:5, Insightful)
Good luck figuring out traffic patterns by putting this in police cars. The police by me are either sitting by the side of the road looking for speeders and HOV lane violators, or they're cutting through traffic in the disabled vehicle lane.
Just wrong (Score:4, Insightful)
Ofcourse this system would be useless (Score:4, Insightful)
Might as well put that chip inside my brain so it can sense my stress/roadrage levels and turn my car off if I get too violent.
Ford Acronyms (Score:4, Funny)
FORD = Fucker only runs downhill
FORD backwards is an acronym for "Driver Returns On Foot."
FORD = First On Recall Day
FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily
FORD = For Oversized Rednick Dicks
Ford Acronyms [urbandictionary.com]
New source of income for car rental companies (Score:5, Interesting)
Traffic Cops will soon be a thing of the past (Score:5, Informative)
--Henry Ford
Rental car companies use GPS to clock your speed or location and fine you for speeding or leaving the geographic area covered by your contract. Red light cameras dole out tickets (usually through some government contracting company). EZ-Pass toll systems can help track the movements of drivers. The microprocessors in your car can provide data to help determine fault in auto accidents. I won't even get into OnStar. Sheesh, next thing you know, Anheuser-Busch will be tracking your drinking habits - oh wait. Imaging linking those databases.
With a simple identification code in each Ford car, the freedom of movement in the U.S. could become very expensive. To me, it's almost more frightening that so many of these functions (and this data) is in private hands than if it were the government getting it itself.
There will be (actually already is) a flurry of legal wrangling to determine: (1) how the private companies can use this (i.e., when they can disclose or sell it); and (2) under what circumstances the government can get to it and use it.
Pay attention... (Score:3, Insightful)
Technology is like fire... if you don't keep a careful eye on it and keep it under control, what was your servant becomes your master...
That's all I'm saying... make sure such useful technology doesn't become abused... It's a duty to those who wish to remain free.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
This will never work.... (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact is, it's US thats the problem. We employ a greedy and not cooperative strategy on the roads. They did research around here, and they found that all the highways were completely cpable of handling the volume of traffic at rush hour. It's out driving that creates backups.
And don't get me started about RUBBERNECKERS! ARH.
People here are some tips:
1) Don't rummberneck, mangled metal is fun, but it's none of your business.
2) Don't tail gate, leave good room. Tailgating makes you slam on your brakes, so the guy behind you needs to slam arder, and so on, until people are locking up anc causing more accidents.
3) When in a backup let the gap be made. Don't floor it to the next guys bumper then brake hard 1) it wastes gas 2) you repeat #2. I've seen "averagers" - peopel who average the flow out create a huge difference. And I think we all rather me slow and steady rather than stop-and -go. If you are a stop and go person: remember: 1) all that gas used to get up to speed gets wasted when you put on your brakes, 2) you waste more brakes killing the effect of overusing gas 3) you create more changes in speed which is more changes for a rear-end collision by another unattentive driver. We handle things if they are steady.
4) Get over early. You having to slow down your lane so you can get over in a hurry, slows down your lane and causes others to change lanes.
5) minimize lane changes. Each one is a time when you a leagally vulderable. When you change lanes, right of way is with the person who is already there. And we all know about 2 people, one moveing left, the other right, that don't see each other.
That shoudl take care of 90% of the problems on the road.
Thank you.
Is there an anti-monitoring mod chip yet? (Score:5, Funny)
SVT COBRA VIN#12345
WINDSHIELD WIPERS:OFF
HEADLIGHTS: OFF
SPEED: YOUR MOTHER
Additionally... (Score:5, Funny)
No need for this to be in every car... (Score:5, Insightful)
However, think of this usage. A local radio and TV station operation offers to pay to have this system installed in 2000 volunteer's cars, and those people are paid $250 or so a year to participate. Suddenly, this station will have a a very informative realtime traffic system, because as odds are one of their spotters will be delayed by any rainstorm or lane closure. What's more, the spotters don't have to do anything active to report that they've been stopped or slowed, since the system phones in their reports for them.
There's no need for everybody's privacy to be violated, because this doesn't need a census, just a sample. If a few people are willing to give up some privacy, the whole public can benefit from the data collected in the form of better traffic advisories.
Big Brother FORD? (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, BTW, for all you Ford haters out there, my '82 Ford Bronco is still running after 215 thousand miles. Never had any major work other than replacing the oil pump. Environmentalists procede with the flaming on my gas guzzling beast, but I do live in New Mexico and take my car off road all the time, I don't own an SUV just because they're cool or big.
Never trust the client (Score:5, Interesting)
I use this [gouv.qc.ca] every day to choose which way to go home (red on Decarie (the 15) is particularly bad).
S
Insurance break or govt. rebate? (Score:4, Interesting)
Would you drive a car with the intent of being monitored if it meant that your insurance company would give significant fee breaks or if the government gave rebates of some form?
If you start to put money into the equation, things start to seem more interesting than threatening, n'est-ce pas?
reminds me of a joke (Score:5, Funny)
Before anyone flames me: I drive an F-150.
Semi Trucks have it... (Score:4, Interesting)
Car monitoring (Score:5, Interesting)
Someone had a very expensive car, the kind of car that cost a fortune to get a insurance for. So the car got a tracking device installed to get a lower insurance. These devices are normally intalled in different places hard to find unless you take the entire car apart and also has their own battery.
One day the police got a call from the company tracking these cars for the insurance company. The car appeared to had been stolen and was going down the freeway. The police got running updates of the location of the car. drove after it down the freeway and ended up "capturing" the thief in a parking lot by blocking the exits with police cars.
The "thief" turned out to be a family member not normally driving the car who had forgotten to disarm the alarm.
The alarm did not make any noise if not disarmed, it just sat there, sending the coordinates from a gps antenna through the cell phone network.
So the owner was happy to see that the alarm indeed worked but less happy about all the attention the Saturday shopping got.
The story said nothing about the price for this mistake.
Re:Car monitoring (Score:4, Informative)
A microprocessor and display are installed in a vehicle that has been purchased with a loan. The display indicates if your loan payment is current. As the due date approaches, the display warns you. Should you miss a payment, your vehicle is automatically disabled. When you make a payment, the loan company sends you a code to enter in to the system, giving you another month of vehicle use.
This isn't some test system. It has been used in more than 100,000 vehicles throughout the United States. Right now they are being used in situations where people are a credit risk. Typically the person has the income to afford the vehicle, but has a history of late or missed payments.
Not Traffic Monitor -- Vehicle Monitor (Score:4, Insightful)
Really, these things should be called "vehicle monitors". But that phrase conjures up such
-kgj
I've been thinking. (Score:4, Insightful)
umm, yeah. (Score:4, Insightful)